The Dillon tribune., 1887-04-01
DANGEROUS PLACES IN PARIS.
Tho Cellars WhcEe Thieves NM! NIur,,e~.
crs Resort,

Tho Cellars Wl'cEe Thieves nn,! Murder.
crs Resort.
SO We made up u party OF three, and !
between l and 2 in the morning We ar
rived at tho Central markets We lcft I
then, to t!lcir lrca,rn, and descended bv !
& n2!To" staircase into (, series ct vaults,
Tie NhitcGasl.cd ceilings Of which were
covered VITA Cr2Deslucs and names writ
ton ia black with the smoke oi Il candle.
II one part Of these vSultsa IL group cf rlcr
Ucrc drinking a;,i singing rsroi.ics CT
church hymns. 't.lis did net come up to
o1r expectations, 50 we went to ''I.a Jc,lne
FRANCE y famous cellar, whore a E,an
he'd been :..;g"ssinatel only Il few, nights
before. We passed through {. Tatc. down
ono flight CT narrow stairs, then stopping
| low, VIC passed under q narrow crc.IEay
| reserved in thc foundations of tho house.
| then down another flight Of stairs, then
through another archway, along tortu-
Gus passage, and SO to q tunnel about
seven feet high, five feet broad, and twenty
feet long. The vault Of the roof was COW
cred with green trellisworl.; there were
benches and rush stools to sit upon:
wooden tables bearing the marks of strife;
and, to light us, two gas jets. We were
here at the very end of the mouse trap,
and we now understood why the police
|
possibility of fair fight.
When we entered the ''caveau'' there
was nobody there, but after we had
ordered some wine two musicians came
in The ono was q miserably pale fellow,
half starved and half blind, with thin
blonde mustache. He sang and accom-.
panied himself by striking few chords
ON guitar. The other was u short, bony
man, with black beard, drunken blue
eyes, round shoulders and an appearance
Of humility, as If he were constantly afraid
of receiving kicks. He sang in turn,
strumming ON q single bass chord? The
tip given by some watcher soon brought
four other visitors-a burly rufllan, who
wore huge red fez rising eighteen inches,
above his crown; . young man wearing u
: in cast off clothes Of fashionable cut, but
without vestige of linen. The humble
musician sang, above all things, IN air
from "Mignon," keeping his eyes fixed on
. the ground as he sang and pointing, to his
heart with an awkward gesture whenever
. the word "heart" occurred in the 70
= nance. Suddenly, one after another, hal
> a dozen athletic, square shouldered men
Q varying in agc from II to %, crcpt through
: the narrow archway, passed rapidly II
9 without even glancing at our table ant
l. massed themselves at the end of the vault
: lolling on the benches, smoking cigarettes
9 and drinking at our expense, for w
thought it only polite to offer these gentle
men glass of wine, the moro SO as tn
3. musicians were playing for our amuse
u ment.
l. After "Mignon'' the ruffian with tn
red fez asked for the guitar, took tunin
Il fork out of his pocket, snapped 1t with hi
n teeth. and tuned the instrument properly
y Then the ruffian in the cotton blouse ros
- and with fine voice, perfect sentiment, an
n correct gesture, sang other airs trol
q 'sMignon' and also from Carmen" A
"a the ruf1ians listened in perfect silence
TO the singer, who was real artist, and tW
10 women who had joined the band melte
n into tears ut the end, one of them cxclain
" ing: "Ah, music! When l hear 'Mignol
Mt l can't help it. cry like calf. ~ III
G. scene appeared to be idyllic rather ths
e. brigandish and terrible. However, it q
t. pearcl after after all that we might ha'
te been in better company, for ut sign fro
II. the waiter l slipped out of the va''l
It, "You had better give the word to yo'
e. friends to come up stairs. The band
almost au complet, and it is the very b;!l
ls- that assassnated q man here last wee
% If their chief happens to come in "
ef- might ret in trouble" We did not W;
nd to be warned twice, but wished tho &c
nd tlcmen good evening, and assembled t
he staircase without undue precipitation, a.
lat yet with kind of internal sensation
&c. rapidity.--l Paris Cor. New York Sun.